Towel rack



Feb. 11, 1947. B. R. JONEQ TOWEL HACK.

Filed Oct. 2/1945 INVENTOR BENJAMIN R. J ONES,

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT ornce Application October 2, 1945, Serial No. 619,758

6 Claims.

This invention relates to towel racks, and more particularly to a towel rack having releasable spring holding means for suspending towels or similar articles.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved towel rack structure which consists of a minimum number of very simple parts and which is very easy to use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved towel rack having a spring-pressed holding member for securing a towel in spreadout suspended position on the rack, said holding member being readily releasable when it is desired to remove the towel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a towel rack according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the towel rack of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the towel rack of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the towel rack of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end view of the towel rack of Figure 1 showing a towel held in suspended position by the rack.

Referring to the drawing, H designates the body portion of the towel rack, said body portion being formed as an elongated generally rectangular sleeve having an open front side. sleeve comprises a top wall I2, a rear wall 13, and a bottom wall l4, said bottom wall being formed with a forwardly projecting hollow rectangular rib I5 which has an inner vertical wall element It substantiall in vertical alignment with the front horizontal edge of top wall I2. Bottom wall l4 and rear 'wall I3 are notched out at each end as shown at I! for a purpose to be subsequently described.

Top wall 12 is formed with a depending flange I8 at each end and pivotally secured to the opposed depending flanges l8 adjacent the forward edge of top wall i2 is a depending longitudinally extending blade member l9 whose lower portion is adapted to abut inner vertical wall element Hi of rib l5. Secured to the rear portion of top wall 12 at the intermediate portion thereof is a leaf spring 2!) provided with a contact member 2| at its free end which bears on blade member I 9 and biases said blade member to its forward position against rib [5. A pair of forwardly projecting curved tabs 22, 22 are provided at the top The 2 portion of blade member IQ for manually rotating blade member [9 rearwardly against the biasing pressure of spring 2!! when it is desired to release a towel suspended from the rack.

Blade member l!) is formed with a notch 23 at each edge to provide clearance for a screw driver in securing the rack to a supporting wall surface.

In securing a towel 24 to the rack the towel is grasped at each top corner and the top edge portion thereof is passed over rib l5, blade It! being pushed back b the hands until the towel is in the position shown in Figure 5. The towel is then released and will be securely held in suspended position by blade member I 9. Notches I! provide clearance for the hands. In removing the towel from the rack, tabs 22 are depressed, causing blade member 19 to be swung rearwardly, thereby disengaging the top edge portion of the towel from the rack.

While a specific embodiment of a towel rack structure has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A towel rack structure comprising an elongated sleeve member having a top longitudinal wall, a rear longitudinal wall and a bottom longitudinal wall, said bottom wall being formed with a raised longitudinal rib at its forward edge, a longitudinal blade member pivotally secured to the top wall adjacent the forwardedge of said top wall for rearward rotation around a longitudinal axis, the lower front face of said blade member being adapted to abut said rib, and a spring member secured within the sleeve member and bearing against said blade member to bias it outwardly.

2. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said blade member is formed with a forwardly projecting tab element adjacent its upper edge portion.

3. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said bottom longitudinal wall is notched at its end edge portions adjacent said rear longitudinalwall.

4. A towel rack structure comprising an elon gated generally rectangular sleeve member having a top longitudinal wall, a rear longitudinal wall and a bottom longitudinal wall, said bottom wall being formed with a raised longitudinal rib at its forward edge, said rib projecting forwardly of the forward edge of said top wall, a longitudinal blade member pivotally secured .to the top wall adjacent the forward edge of said top wall for rearward rotation around a longitudinal axis, the lower front face of said blade member being adapted to abut said rib, and a leaf spring secured at one end within the sleeve member and bearing at the other end against said blade member to bias said blade member toward said rib.

5. The structure of claim 4, and wherein the blade member carries a pair of forwardly projecting tab members adjacent its upper edge Portion, one tab member being located adjacent each end of the rack structure.

6. The structure of claim 4, and wherein the 15 REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS m Number Name Date 372,748 Graves Nov. 8, 1887 1,701,688 McCall Feb. 12, 1929 1,836,161 Gates Dec. 15, 1931 2,143,119 Waring Jan. 10, 1939 2,209,953 Youngquist Aug. 6, 1940 

